Abstract: Embodiments of semiconductor devices and driver circuits include a semiconductor substrate having a first conductivity type, an isolation structure (including a sinker region and a buried layer), an active device within area of the substrate contained by the isolation structure, and a diode circuit. The buried layer is positioned below the top substrate surface, and has a second conductivity type. The sinker region extends between the top substrate surface and the buried layer, and has the second conductivity type. The active device includes a body region of the second conductivity type, and the diode circuit is connected between the isolation structure and the body region. The diode circuit may include one or more Schottky diodes and/or PN junction diodes. In further embodiments, the diode circuit may include one or more resistive networks in series and/or parallel with the Schottky and/or PN diode(s).

Abstract: Embodiments of semiconductor devices and driver circuits include a semiconductor substrate having a first conductivity type, an isolation structure (including a sinker region and a buried layer), an active device within area of the substrate contained by the isolation structure, and a diode circuit. The buried layer is positioned below the top substrate surface, and has a second conductivity type. The sinker region extends between the top substrate surface and the buried layer, and has the second conductivity type. The active device includes a source region of the first conductivity type, and the diode circuit is connected between the isolation structure and the source region. The diode circuit may include one or more Schottky diodes and/or PN junction diodes. In further embodiments, the diode circuit may include one or more resistive networks in series and/or parallel with the Schottky and/or PN diode(s).

Abstract: Embodiments of semiconductor devices and driver circuits include a semiconductor substrate having a first conductivity type, an isolation structure (including a sinker region and a buried layer), an active device within a portion of the substrate contained by the isolation structure, and a resistor circuit. The buried layer is positioned below the top substrate surface, and has a second conductivity type. The sinker region extends between the top substrate surface and the buried layer, and has the second conductivity type. The active device includes a current carrying region (e.g., a source region of the first conductivity type and/or a drain region of the second conductivity type), and the resistor circuit is connected between the isolation structure and the current carrying region. The resistor circuit may include one or more resistor networks and, optionally, a Schottky diode and/or one or more PN diode(s) in series and/or parallel with the resistor network(s).

Abstract: A Schottky diode includes a device structure having a central portion and a plurality of fingers. Distal portions of the fingers overlie leakage current control (LCC) regions. An LCC region is relatively narrow and deep, terminating in proximity to a buried layer of like polarity. Under reverse bias, depletion regions forming in an active region lying between the buried layer and the LCC regions occupy the entire extent of the active region and thereby provide a carrier depleted wall. An analogous depletion region occurs in the active region residing between any pair of adjacent fingers. If the fingers include latitudinal oriented fingers and longitudinal oriented fingers, depletion region blockades in three different orthogonal orientations may occur. The formation of the LCC regions may include the use of a high dose, low energy phosphorous implant using an LCC implant mask and the isolation structures as an additional hard mask.

Abstract: Embodiments of semiconductor devices and driver circuits include a semiconductor substrate having a first conductivity type, an isolation structure (including a sinker region and a buried layer), an active device within a portion of the substrate contained by the isolation structure, and a resistor circuit. The buried layer is positioned below the top substrate surface, and has a second conductivity type. The sinker region extends between the top substrate surface and the buried layer, and has the second conductivity type. The active device includes a body region, which is separated from the isolation structure by a portion of the semiconductor substrate having the first conductivity type. The resistor circuit is connected between the isolation structure and the body region. The resistor circuit may include one or more resistor networks and, optionally, a Schottky diode and/or one or more PN diode(s) in series and/or parallel with the resistor network(s).

Abstract: Embodiments of semiconductor devices and driver circuits include a semiconductor substrate having a first conductivity type, an isolation structure (including a sinker region and a buried layer), an active device within area of the substrate contained by the isolation structure, and a diode circuit. The buried layer is positioned below the top substrate surface, and has a second conductivity type. The sinker region extends between the top substrate surface and the buried layer, and has the second conductivity type. The active device includes a drain region of the second conductivity type, and the diode circuit is connected between the isolation structure and the drain region. The diode circuit may include one or more Schottky diodes and/or PN junction diodes. In further embodiments, the diode circuit may include one or more resistive networks in series and/or parallel with the Schottky and/or PN diode(s).

Abstract: A device includes a semiconductor substrate, a body region in the semiconductor substrate, having a first conductivity type, and including a channel region through which charge carriers flow, a drain region in the semiconductor substrate, having a second conductivity type, and spaced from the body region along a first lateral dimension, a drift region in the semiconductor substrate, having the second conductivity type, and electrically coupling the drain region to the channel region, and a plurality of floating reduced surface field (RESURF) regions in the semiconductor substrate adjacent the drift region, having the first conductivity type, and around which the charge carriers drift through the drift region under an electric field arising from a voltage applied to the drain region. Adjacent floating RESURF regions of the plurality of floating RESURF regions are spaced from one another along a second lateral dimension of the device by a respective gap.

Abstract: A device includes a semiconductor substrate having a first conductivity type, a device isolating region in the semiconductor substrate, defining an active area, and having a second conductivity type, a body region in the active area and having the first conductivity type, and a drain region in the active area and spaced from the body region to define a conduction path of the device, the drain region having the second conductivity type. The device isolating region and the body region are spaced from one another to establish a first breakdown voltage lower than a second breakdown voltage in the conduction path.

Abstract: An electronic apparatus includes a semiconductor substrate and first and second transistors disposed in the semiconductor substrate. The first transistor includes a channel region and a drain region adjacent the channel region. The second transistor includes a channel region, a false drain region adjacent the channel region, and a drain region electrically coupled to the channel region by a drift region such that the second transistor is configured for operation at a higher voltage level than the first transistor. The respective channel regions of the first and second transistors have a common configuration characteristic.

Abstract: A single-poly non-volatile memory includes a PMOS select transistor (210) formed with a select gate (212), and P+ source and drain regions (211, 213) formed in a shared n-well region (240), a serially connected PMOS floating gate transistor (220) formed with part of a p-type floating gate layer (222) and P+ source and drain regions (221, 223) formed in the shared n-well region (240), and a coupling capacitor (230) formed over a p-well region (250) and connected to the PMOS floating gate transistor (220), where the coupling capacitor (230) includes a first capacitor plate formed with a second part of the p-type floating gate layer (222) and an underlying portion of the p-well region (250).

Abstract: An ISFET includes a control gate coupled to a floating gate in a CMOS device. The control gate, for example, a poly-to-well capacitor, is configured to receive a bias voltage and effect movement of a trapped charge between the control gate and the floating gate. The threshold voltage of the ISFET can therefore by trimmed to a predetermined value, thereby storing the trim information (the amount of trapped charge in the floating gate) within the ISFET itself.

Abstract: Apparatus and related fabrication methods are provided for capacitor structures. One embodiment of a capacitor structure comprises a plurality of consecutive metal layers and another metal layer. Each via layer of a plurality of via layers is interposed between metal layers of the plurality of metal layers. The plurality of metal layers and the plurality of via layers are cooperatively configured to provide a first plurality of vertical conductive structures corresponding to a first electrode and a second plurality of vertical conductive structures corresponding to a second electrode. The plurality of consecutive metal layers form a plurality of vertically-aligned regions and provide intralayer electrical interconnections among the first plurality of vertical conductive structures.

Abstract: Latch-up of CMOS devices is improved by using a structure having electrically coupled but floating doped regions between the N-channel and P-channel devices. The doped regions desirably lie substantially parallel to the source-drain regions of the devices between the Pwell and Nwell regions in which the source-drain regions are located. A first (“N BAR”) doped region forms a PN junction with the Pwell, spaced apart from a source/drain region in the Pwell, and a second (“P BAR”) doped region forms a PN junction with the Nwell, spaced apart from a source/drain region in the Nwell. A further NP junction lies between the N BAR and P BAR regions. The N BAR and P BAR regions are ohmically coupled, preferably by a low resistance metal conductor, and otherwise floating with respect to the device or circuit reference potentials (e.g., Vss, Vdd).

Abstract: Latch-up of CMOS devices (20, 20?) is improved by using a structure (40, 40?, 80) having electrically coupled but floating doped regions (64, 64?; 65, 65?) between the N-channel (44) and P-channel (45) devices. The doped regions (64, 64?; 65, 65?) desirably lie substantially parallel to the source-drain regions (422, 423; 432, 433) of the devices (44, 45) between the Pwell (42) and Nwell (43) regions in which the source-drain regions (422, 423; 432, 433) are located. A first (“N BAR”) doped region (64, 64?) forms a PN junction (512) with the Pwell (42), spaced apart from a source/drain region (423) in the Pwell (42), and a second (“P BAR”) doped region (55, 55?) forms a PN junction (513) with the Nwell (43), spaced apart from a source/drain region (433) in the Nwell (43). A further NP junction (511) lies between the N BAR (64) and P BAR (65) regions.

Abstract: A circuit for a nonvolatile memory cell can include a charge-altering terminal and an output terminal. The circuit can also include a first transistor having a gate electrode that electrically floats and an active region including a current-carrying electrode, wherein the current-carrying electrode is coupled to the output terminal. The circuit can further include a second transistor having a first electrode and a second electrode, wherein the first electrode is coupled to the gate electrode of the first transistor, and the second electrode is coupled to the charge-altering terminal. When changing the state of the memory cell, the second transistor can be active and no significant amount of charge carriers are transferred between the gate electrode of the first transistor and the active region of the first transistor. Other embodiments can include the electronic device itself and a process of forming the electronic device.

Abstract: A device for analyzing a fluid sample is provided. The device includes a substrate, a trench formed in said substrate, and a processor. The trench includes a channel, a sample chamber, and a reagent chamber, each in fluid communication with each another. The sample chamber is configured to receive the fluid sample. The processor is integrally formed in the substrate and is in communication with the trench. The processor is configured to analyze the fluid sample. Methods for manufacturing the device are also provided.

Abstract: Latch-up of CMOS devices (20, 20?) is improved by using a structure (40, 40?, 80) having electrically coupled but floating doped regions (64, 64?; 65, 65?) between the N-channel (44) and P-channel (45) devices. The doped regions (64, 64?; 65, 65?) desirably lie substantially parallel to the source-drain regions (422, 423; 432, 433) of the devices (44, 45) between the Pwell (42) and Nwell (43) regions in which the source-drain regions (422, 423; 432, 433) are located. A first (“N BAR”) doped region (64, 64?) forms a PN junction (512) with the Pwell (42), spaced apart from a source/drain region (423) in the Pwell (42), and a second (“P BAR”) doped region (55, 55?) forms a PN junction (513) with the Nwell (43), spaced apart from a source/drain region (433) in the Nwell (43). A further NP junction (511) lies between the N BAR (64) and P BAR (65) regions.

Abstract: A tunable antifuse element (102, 202, 204, 504, 952) includes a substrate material (101) having an active area (106) formed in a surface, a gate electrode (104) having at least a portion positioned above the active area (106), and a dielectric layer (110) disposed between the gate electrode (104) and the active area (106). The dielectric layer (110) includes a tunable stepped structure (127). During operation, a voltage applied between the gate electrode (104) and the active area (106) creates a current path through the dielectric layer (110) and a rupture of the dielectric layer (110) in a rupture region (130). The dielectric layer (110) is tunable by varying the stepped layer thicknesses and the geometry of the layer.

Abstract: A circuit for a nonvolatile memory cell can include a charge-altering terminal and an output terminal. The circuit can also include a first transistor having a gate electrode that electrically floats and an active region including a current-carrying electrode, wherein the current-carrying electrode is coupled to the output terminal. The circuit can further include a second transistor having a first electrode and a second electrode, wherein the first electrode is coupled to the gate electrode of the first transistor, and the second electrode is coupled to the charge-altering terminal. When changing the state of the memory cell, the second transistor can be active and no significant amount of charge carriers are transferred between the gate electrode of the first transistor and the active region of the first transistor. Other embodiments can include the electronic device itself and a process of forming the electronic device.

Abstract: A single-poly non-volatile memory includes a PMOS select transistor (210) formed with a select gate (212), and P+ source and drain regions (211, 213) formed in a shared n-well region (240), a serially connected PMOS floating gate transistor (220) formed with part of a p-type floating gate layer (222) and P+ source and drain regions (221, 223) formed in the shared n-well region (240), and a coupling capacitor (230) formed over a p-well region (250) and connected to the PMOS floating gate transistor (220), where the coupling capacitor (230) includes a first capacitor plate formed with a second part of the p-type floating gate layer (222) and an underlying portion of the p-well region (250).